A Bit About The Role
We’re looking for a Head of Finance – Operations to join our squad at a truly exciting time in our growth journey. With expansion into new markets, a big increase in our in‑house manufacturing & fulfilment footprint, and greater operational complexity, this role will sit at the heart of how we scale efficiently and sustainably.
Role Details
Role: Head of Finance
Career Step Level: Step level 5
Location: Blyth, Worksop
Responsibilities
- Be the financial owner of Operations
- Lead all financial management across Manufacturing, Warehouse, Fulfilment and Logistics (including UK, Poland facility and 3PL interactions).
- Own operational P&L lines (COGs, labour, utilities, waste, packaging, logistics, overheads) and drive clarity on performance and variances.
- Drive robust financial control and reporting
- Be accountable for accurate, timely and impactful operational reporting, cost centre reviews, and period end close for Ops.
- Maintain strong financial controls across end‑to‑end operational processes to ensure robust foundations which enable scalable growth.
- Partner deeply with operational leaders
- Work hand‑in‑hand with Operations Leadership to translate performance into actionable insights.
- Lead conversations that highlight key deviations from budget across labour efficiency, throughput, waste, scrap, and logistics costs — both proactively and retrospectively.
- Own the budget & rolling forecast inputs – acting as the bridge between the Operations Leadership team, key budget owners and the FP&A team.
- Enhance profitability & efficiency
- Manage key initiatives across labour optimisation, OEE uplift projects, production efficiency, procurement & materials usage, waste reduction, and utility ratio improvements.
- Deliver working capital improvements through stock optimisation, SKU efficiency and smarter replenishment.
- Support capital investment and expansion
- Provide financial evaluation of CapEx for new equipment, production lines, automation, storage, and fulfilment upgrades (pre‑ and post‑investment).
- Play a key role in developing the economics of new operational sites, international expansion, and network design.
- Be a systems, data & process leader
- Own the Ops Finance change roadmap – including ERP improvements (e.g. SAP B1), automation opportunities, costing system enhancements and more accurate operational data capture.
- Champion AI‑led and digital automation for Ops Finance processes.
- Ensure we stay ahead of risk
- Identify and mitigate operational risks (supply chain, production, labour, asset utilisation, capacity constraints).
- Support scenario modelling for demand spikes, network disruption and international fulfilment strategy.
Note: This role typically works from our UK manufacturing site, with travel required to London and Poland.
A Bit About You
- 6+ years post‑qualified CIMA/ACCA/ACA/equivalent experience, ideally gained in an operational setting.
- Strong background in operations finance, manufacturing finance, cost accounting or supply chain finance.
- Experience working in an FMCG, manufacturing, or food production business.
- Deep understanding of:
- OEE
- standard costing, variance analysis, yield & waste
- labour and overhead absorption
- stock valuation & inventory control
- manufacturing KPIs and operational performance metrics
- Experience working closely with operational teams on the ground — not afraid to “go to the line” to understand the drivers behind the numbers.
- Demonstrated ability to act as the finance lead and strategic partner to non‑financial operational departments. Must be able to influence decisions to achieve cost and efficiency targets.
- Strong problem‑solver, able to adapt quickly and thrive in a fast‑paced environment with shifting priorities.
- Experience leading and developing a team, ideally across site/office locations.
- Excellent communicator and storyteller, including an ability to explain operational finance concepts to non‑finance teams.
- Highly solution‑orientated with a continuous improvement mindset.
- Proven capability to horizon‑scan and identify efficiency opportunities before they arise.
- Experience with SAP/SAP B1 is very beneficial, likewise involvement in ERP upgrade projects.
- A love for dogs (naturally) and our Butternut values resonate strongly with you.
A Bit About Butternut
At Butternut, the mission is to deliver health and happiness to dogs and their humans all over the world. In order to do just that, we need a team of forward‑thinking, driven people who love dogs as much as we do. And we need quite a big kitchen too. Which is why we have built one in 2021.
Located in Doncaster, Rudie’s Kitchen and Ace’s Pantry are where all the magic happens, so to speak. It’s where the tasty Butternut meals and treats will be gently cooked, using human‑quality ingredients because, the way we see it, we wouldn’t serve food to dogs that we wouldn’t be happy to eat ourselves. Due to continued business growth, across Europe, we are also expanding our production footprint with an even bigger second factory in Poland, Sam’s Kitchen, which will be operational early in 2026.
At Butternut, we believe dogs deserve better, and if that’s something you think too, we want to hear from you.
Butternut has come a long way since Kev & Dave (co‑founders) hand‑delivered the first Butternut Box, and we are now looking for brilliant people to join the team for this next part of the story.
Are you up for the challenge?